Retailers will remain under the spotlight next week as investors look for some signs that consumers haven’t given up on spending. Housing numbers will also be scrutinized during a short week that includes the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Among the retail companies reporting third quarter earnings are: jeweler Tiffany & Co. (TIF), book seller Borders Group (BGP) and clothing companies J. Crew (JCG), Talbots (TLB) and American Eagle Outfitters (AEO).

In addition, earnings from computer maker Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Campbell Soup (CPB) home builder D.R. Horton (DHI) and agricultural-equipment maker Deere & Co. (DE) will all provide insight into the struggling U.S. economy.

October home sales will be released, and they’re likely to be down from a year ago. In addition, the government will report on existing and new-home sales. And the S&P/Case-Shiller indexes will detail home prices in 20 major U.S. cities in September.

 Also on the economic front, preliminary third-quarter gross domestic product figure is due and some analysts are expecting a decline of 0.6%.

The private Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for November will gauge consumer sentiment heading into the holidays.

MONDAY: earnings from Hewlett-Packard and Campbell Soup, plus existing home sales.

TUESDAY: earnings from American Eagle Outfitters, Borders, Dollar Tree (DLTR), Talbots and D.R. Horton, plus preliminary GDP figures and consumer confidence.

WEDNESDAY: earnings from Deere & Co., Tiffany & Co. and J. Crew, plus new home sales, and government figures on October durable-goods orders, personal income and personal spending, as well as the final number for the Reuters/University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for November.  

THURSDAY: Thanksgiving Day holiday, markets closed.

FRIDAY: New York Stock Exchange closes at 1 p.m.